The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-10-11

great many have done thlsi
still, the object we had in view was tn
secure our eternal salvation; to assist
in building up the Church and kingdom
of God: to assist each other in our
faith and our works in preparing our
selves for the coming of the Son OF Man,
that he may have a people upon the
earth ready to receive Him at His
coming.
l am we'll aware that the Latter-day
Saints are greatly misunderstood; that
their faith and their hopes are not I'M
derstood in the world; that people have
formed mistaken ideas and have enter
tanned mistaken opinions in regard to
this work and its object. They don't
realize this is. as we are able and do
testify to, the work of God that tits the
revelations of His will to the children of
men in this dispensation; that it is the
revelation of the Gospel and the plan of
salvation, of that system which was to
save and exalt the children of men, and
prepare them for the coming of the
kingdom of God and the Lord Jesus
Christ.
A great deal of prejudice exists in the
world in regard to the Latter day Saints
by reason of this misunderstanding.
Men, through motives of their own,
have purpOsely misrepresented this
people, both in regard to their religion
their social and their political life and
the aims for which they are
working. Among one OF the
errors that may refer to that has been
promulgated in this regard is that
there exists in Utah the "union of
the people here have endeavored to es-
tablish polity outside that of the gov
eminent of the United States.
Those who made this declaration
seem to have forgotten the fact that the
people who populs ted this Territory
came here as a religious community =
that they did not come here as other
emigrants come or went in other
States and Territories, in this nation; ;
but the people who populated.this Ter
ritOry in the first place, came here hav-
ing a common obi O. in view. They
came here as the Pilgrim Fathers came
from the old country and settled IN
Massachusetts. They came here be-
cause they could live in peace and en-
Joy their religious rights III the different
countries from which they came. We
have heard it said, or it has been said to
me frequently, that we came here be-
cause we could not help ourselves. The
Saints, having been driven from Nauvoo,
had to seek resting place in this pOr-
ton of deseret country, came here as
religious community, led by their
spiritual leaders. 1t is fact that their
religious faith, that their idea of their
religion permeateG all their actions. 1t
is fact that the spiritual leaders of the
people became, and of necessity had to
become, their temporal leaders.
the first settlement of this
country. and probably just as necessary
to-day, that the people should receive
instructions, advice and counsel in
regard to their temporal affairs, and
how to live in this new country, as 1t
was to give instructions in spiritual
matters, to fit and prepare them for the
great hereafter.
It was necessary that the people
should live, that they should raise food,
that they should cultivate the soil and
learn how to work aud gain experience.
1t was necessary for them to practice,
as it was necessary for them to have the
advantage OF all the instructions and
counsels, and obtain all the advice and
information that it would be possible
to obtain upon this subject. And those
men who led them across the dTeary
plains and across the great desert had
shown, manifested and demonst' ated
their ability to be great leaders, not only
in spiritual things, but temporarily ,calcu-
lated by their advice and their counsels
to benefit the people in temporal as
well as in spiritual matters The people
had confidence in them. Hence, these
men became their temporal as well as
their spiritual leaders. This, then, is
all there is in regard to chu'ch
and state. There can be no
church and state. In this country the
very genius of our institution is antag-
onistio to that idea and although man
may hold temporal Office, it does not
necessarily follow that there is union
o. church and state. This is. not the
only country where men hold
political and ecclesiastical offices.
They are frequently combined
in the same person in other
States and Territories and it does not
follow that there is a union OF church
and state because of this. 1t Is true
that in this country, owing to the pc
culiaf situation and circumstances
under which they came, here that
many of the spiritual leaders of the
church also became political leaders;
and that those who held offices in the
church, also held offices in the Terri
tory, county and cities. Not because
they held positions in the CHI rich were
they put in Office of 3 political character
also, buc because of the adaptability
and confidence the people had in them
were they appointed TO these political
positions.
But" says one, you frequently
mix your politics and your religion, or
you mix your religion and politics, to-
gether." Well, if We do, this is not
confined to tile Latter day Sain .s-Or
"Mormons. Ministers throughout the
United States frequently preach poll
tics and advise the people as to what is
best for them to do and what is the best
political duty they can perform. Ere
quenuy before elections, ministers will
advise their congregations as to what
is best from their own point of view.
And this, l regard, they have a per-
feet right to do. Because a man be-
c>mes religious, because be becomes
4 Latter-day Saint. or Roman Cath
ulc. or Presbyterian, or Methodist,
or whatever he may be, he does not
cease 10 be an American citizen. When
L joined this church and became
Latter day Saint and became ldenti-